You Can Go Home Again
by PoeticallyIncorrect1
Summary: Set after "Mission La Roca part 2" Miles finally makes his visit to San Francisco
1. Chapter 1

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN

Chapter 1

It had been a week since Miles had been back in the United States from Central America. And he'd ended up spending those days in the hospital recuperating from life threatening bacterial meningitis. Those first few days hadn't been too bad, he'd been alone in the room and spent a lot of the time sleeping and trying to regain his strength. that way he'd be ready the next time the team regrouped for their latest case.

Three days ago the hospital in its infinite wisdom had seen fit to give him a roommate. Instead of some quiet person who'd leave him alone, he'd ended up with someone about his own age. Someone who spent the time either playing annoying rap music on the radio or entertaining his seemingly never ending stream of female visitors.

In those three days Miles had found there were so many times he cared to reread the same journal or walk up and down the hallway. Now he was bored as Hell and starting to wonder if he'd been forgotten. The only member of the team who'd been in to visit was Natalie and he had the idea that it was partly to keep track of his recovery process.  
That made perfect sense as she'd more or less taken over treating him once he'd been rescued. Still he looked forward to those daily visits as it broke up the monotony of his days. And it also gave him time to catch up with what was going on with the others since they'd stayed away waiting until he was up to having visitors.

In the meantime he'd stared up at the ceiling long enough that if someone were to ask him how many holes were in it, he could probably give them a pretty accurate answer. Still it was better than trying toignore his roommate's visitors. Which with the drawn curtains and the noise, left him with the suspicion that more was going on than just hugging and kissing.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter.

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN

Chapter 2

Visiting hours arrived and Miles lay back closing his eyes. He was ignoring the sound of heels clicking on the floor which signaled the arrival of lady number one. It was going to be a long afternoon.

The door opened again and a knock sounded on the doorframe. Frank stood in the doorway and called out, "Hey, Miles? You awake?"

Miles opened his eyes at the sound of the familiar and much welcome voice. "Yeah, Frank. I'm awake. I was just doing some thinking. What brings you here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood," Frank replied although they both knew that the hospital was quite a bit out of the way from where he lived.

"Well, since you're here you might as well grab a chair and sit down awhile," Miles suggested. "What's in the bag?"

"Everybody wanted to bake cookies today and I was thinking that you must be getting really tired of hospital food. So I snatched these out of their last batch. Homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven," Frank explained, handing the bag to Miles.

Miles dug into the bag with all the eagerness of a six-year-old and held up a cookie. "Ahh. Real food at last," he announced before biting into it.

"I have to say that you're looking a heck of a lot better than the last time I saw you. How are you feeling?"

"A heck of a lot better than the last time you saw me," Milesanswered once he'd finished off the cookie. "Tell your family, "Thanks," for me."

"I'll pass it on," frank replied. He jerked his thumb toward the drawn curtain. "What's he doing over there? Watching a porno movie or something?"

Miles sighed and rolled his eyes. "Nope. Let's just say that you could call it live and in person."

Frank looked over at the curtain and then at Miles for a minute until he finally caught onto the younger man's unintentional pun. "You mean they're-?"

"That's exactly what I mean," Miles interrupted.

"Well it certainly gives new meaning to the term 'in person'," Frank joked. "How long has that been going on?"

"Every afternoon for the past two days. And I swear that I'm just about ready to walk out of here if I could talk sommebody into bringing me some clothes to wear. Natalie won't do it."

"You had her pretty worried there for awhile . Heck man, you had us all worried. I think it's just her way of making sure you stay put until you're told that you're fit to leave," Frank said.

"I am fit to leave," Miles stated although he still tired easily. But he wasn't going to let anybody know that. "I can get better just as well at home and without the 'entertaiment' either."


	3. Chapter 3

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN

Chapter 3

"What entertainment, Miles?" Natalie asked, standing in the doorway. "I see you already have some company."

"Oh, that's just Frank," Miles said, looking over to the older man.

"Just Frank, huh? Remember I'm the one who saved you from the boredom of hospital food by bringing you cookies," Frank remeinded him but he was grinning. "Now, be nice and share."

"Miles, I did see if there were any private hospital rooms available. But you have to be either a VIP patient which I'm afraid you're not. Or a critical care one which I am very glad you're not either," Natalie told the younger doctor.

"Well, when am I going to get out of here then?" Miles demanded.

"Give it a couple of more days okay? Its only been two days since you finally stopped spiking a fever. Do too much too soon and you'll set back your recovery process," Natalie cautioned.

"Okay, Mom," Miles said and gave her one of his most disarming looks. "Since I'm gonna be stuck here awhile yet, could you please have Frank or somebody bring me my laptop? That way I can get a little work done. I promise not to overdo it."

Natalie relented and said, "I'll let Frank get you whatever you need. But you have to promise you'll stay here until we say you can leave."

"I promise. But could you please see if you can do something about this?" Miles asked, pointing toward the curtains. "It's like watching an X-rated movie with a blind fold on."

Natalie listened to the moaning and groaning, deciding those were definitely not the sounds of a person in pain. She shook her head and said, "Let me see if I can put a stop to this. I think most hospitals have rules against this sort of thing. And if they don't then they should." She marched over to the drawn curtains.

"You go girl," Frank said, waiting to see what was going to happen.

Putting a finger to her lips, Natalie motioned to the two men to keep quiet while her other hand began drawing the curtain aside slowly inch by inch. She smiled in satisfaction as the the moaning and groaning and "Yeah, baby," had rapidly turned to audible cursing and the rustling of clothing.

A quick glance behind her showed that her two friends were doing their hardest to keep from laughing. Then she pulled the curtain aside enough to step behind it an announced, "There are hospital rules against this sort of thing. Shall I call someone in to enforce them?"

The well endowed redhead was buttoning her blouse while the roommate hastily said, "No. That won't be necessary, Doctor."

"Very well. But if I hear of this happening again, I assure you that strict measures will be taken," Natalie warned. She stepped back to let the curtain fall into place.

A moment later, the redhead, making sure all her clothes were in place, stalked toward the door. "Michael Anthony Mantonya, I am never going to speak to you again!" she snapped.

"But, Gracie--" Mr. Mantonya was pleading as he slipped out of bed and quickly followed her to the door, shooting a venomous glare at Natalie as he passed by.

Once the door slammed shut, Miles and Frank gave into their barely laughter. When Miles could finally speak, at least alittle breathlessly, he said, "Way to go, Nat. Now why didn't I think of this?"

"Because nobody would've taken you seriously," Frank said, pointingout Miles' hospital attire.

"Yeah, that's true," he admitted and passed the bag toNatalie. "Care for a cookie?"

"Don't mind if I do," she said, reaching in. "By the way, I picked up your mail at work today and thought you might want to see this." She handed Miles an official looking envelope bearing the N.I.H. insignia.


End file.
